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Serpent
The Serpent is a Zoid, one of over 200 species of biomechanical lifeforms depicted by TOMY's Zoids model kit, anime, and comic-based Zoids franchise. Overview The Serpent is an old Zoid with a long neck and two large drive wheels. It was released as part of the Power Zoids line. The Serpent served in the role of aggressive reconnaissance, similar to its adversary (and the only other Power Zoid), the Tank. Battle Story Appearances The Serpent was neither shown nor mentioned in the Battle Story; however, it does have the faction symbols of the Zenebas Empire included with its model kit, and is the first Zoid to ever display them. Media Appearances UK Zoids Comic The Serpent was seen solely in the UK Zoids comic, and was one of the Red Mutants who followed Redhorn (and Mammoth, at a later stage). Just like its Power Zoid counterpart, the Tank, the Zoid was seen in many insignificant roles, for the most part acting as a filler character in battle scenes. However, one particular Serpent would act as a shell to house Redhorn, after his old body was smashed apart in a betrayal by Mammoth. After the Serpent's original Mindrider was destroyed, the humans would utilize the pilotless Zoid by forcing Redhorn's Mindrider into the cockpit at gunpoint and ordering him to drive them around. At one point, the group stumbles upon a group of Red Mutant Zoids, with other Serpents being depicted among it. Redhorn tries to order his troops to follow his lead again, but the mob of Zoids leaves, regarding him as a normal Serpent that lost its wits due to battle damage. Eventually Redhorn does find himself a new body, courtesy of Red Scavenger; what happens to the commandeered Serpent afterwards is not shown. After Redhorn reappears in his new body, the few Serpents remaining in Mammoth's demoralized and dwindling forces immediately return to their old leader, right before he gets his revenge on the treacherous Zoid. Models Power Zoids (1983) The Serpent was released as part of the Power Zoids line. Introduced in Europe and the United States, production continued until about 1985. The Serpent is molded in black and maroon-red, with a light-brown canopy and a small chromed pilot. As the Tank had unprecedented color variation, so too did the Serpent model; The American version had two colors of wheels: Brown-red, or green. The European version, on the other hand, had silver-grey wheels. In addition, the color of the European Serpent was more dark-pink compared to the truer red of the American variant. As the box for the Serpent was identical, there was no way of knowing which version of the Zoid is obtained beforehand. This model was the first ever to use the Zenebas/Red Mutant color scheme, even though there were no factions (at the time); the usage of contrasting colors with the Serpent and Tank would set a precedent for future Zoid conflicts; blue would (for the most part) represent the Republic/Blue Guardians, while red colors would mostly distinguish Empire/Red Mutant Zoids. The Zoid (along with its counterpart, the Tank) was a trailblazer for the model line as it was the first kit to run on a source other than a wind-up motor; the Serpent uses one AA battery for motion; there is a rudimentary switch on the Zoid which, when activated, drives the Zoid along at a reasonable pace. The Serpent can perform surprisingly well on inclines, and can be customized to turn its neck into a scorpion-like tail and place its cockpit at the front of the model. The sticker sheet included with the American Serpent was Helic Republic/Blue Guardian-affiliated, despite the Zoid's Zenebas Empire/Red Mutant color scheme. The European version included proper Zenebas stickers and insignia, along with the original decals. The American variant of the Serpent would eventually be distributed in Europe along with the original European Serpent model until the end of the series' production run. The packaging for the Serpent (just like the Tank) is known for being inconsistent in quality and layout. The Serpent would never see release in Japan, along with the Tank. Despite this, the art on the back of the OJR Mammoth box shows a custom model that utilizes parts from the Serpent. Category:OER Category:OAR Category:Zoids Category:Power Zoids